The I-8 designation was accepted as a
chargeable Interstate by the
American Association of State Highway Officials in 1957, and was added to the state highway system in 1964 by the
California State Legislature; the US 80 designation was removed at that time.
San Diego area The freeway that would become I-8 was constructed in the mid-20th century through the San Diego area. The section west of I-5 was originally part of SR 109, and was added to I-8 in 1972. In later years, the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) made efforts to widen the freeway as congestion increased.
Initial construction Much of Alvarado Canyon Road from San Diego to La Mesa was originally built between 1947 and 1950, a bypass of the old US 80 routing along El Cajon Boulevard and La Mesa Boulevard. Work began to convert the original US 80
divided highway into a freeway in 1960, and the freeway was complete west of El Cajon by April 1962. Priority was given to planning US 80 in 1962 by the
California Chamber of Commerce. In 1964, I-8 was officially designated by the California State Legislature, and the US 80 designation was removed. The Ocean Beach Freeway section west of I-5 was authorized as Route 286 in 1959. In 1962, four alternate routes were proposed for this part of the freeway, and for Rosecrans Street. Route 286 was renumbered to SR 109 in the 1964 renumbering. There were concerns about a $3 million shortfall in funding (about $ in dollars) during May 1966, which caused the San Diego Chamber of Commerce Highway Committee to recommend the completion of SR 109 as a project. This was projected to be the final highway project before I-5 was completed in San Diego County. The building phase started on September 22, 1966, on the interchange that was to replace the intersection of Pacific Highway and Rosecrans Street. The cost of the interchange was projected to be $10.86 million (about $ in dollars). SR 109 was planned to follow Camino del Rio up to the Frontier traffic circle, where the city of San Diego would resume construction; both SR 109 and SR 209 were to be built in the future. The eight-lane freeway was projected to relieve traffic in the Frontier Street area coming from the
San Diego Sports Arena.
Bidding for the SR 109 contract was to begin in 1968, after the City Council endorsed the route in December 1967. Completion of both the interchange and SR 109 was planned for early 1969. An interchange was planned at Midway Drive, and the western end of the freeway was to be at Sunset Cliffs and Nimitz boulevards. The cost of the SR 109 project was estimated to be $2.3 million (about $ in dollars). The ramp from south I-5 to Camino del Rio opened in February 1968, The groundbreaking for the Ocean Beach Freeway took place on September 23, 1968, with the estimated completion to take place within 15 months. The entire project was completed in September, with the road scheduled to open in October. The routing of SR 109 was officially added to I-8 in 1972.
Subsequent expansion Even before the freeway was complete in California, bidding began in 1964 on widening I-8 from six to eight lanes between near Fairmount Avenue and Spring Street, in San Diego and La Mesa. Three years later, a contract was granted for the widening of the Fairmount Avenue to Ward Road stretch, adding two lanes to the freeway. In 1974, the San Diego City Council reached an agreement with state officials to improve I-8 from east of Pacific Highway to Texas Street, over the objections of Councilman Floyd Morrow, who objected to solving traffic issues by continuing to expand freeways. The cost was estimated to be $8 million (about $ in dollars). The La Mesa City Council asked the state to modify the interchange with SR 125 in 1974; the original interchange did not allow for access to SR 125 from I-8 east or to I-8 west from SR 125. Widening of the portion from SR 125 to El Cajon Boulevard to five lanes in each direction was under way in October. By 1981, the
environmental impact report had been completed, and the $50 million (about $ in dollars) project to add ramps and widen I-8 was awaiting clearance from the
Federal Highway Administration. Additional ramps to SR 67 were nearing completion in May 1985, and were completed to I-15 north in October. In 1986, the project revamping the SR 125 interchange was under way, at a cost of $80 million (about $ in dollars); it would add two more lanes to I-8 from Jackson Drive to Fuerte Drive, and allow for SR 125 to be extended north past I-8. By 1977, traffic had reached 172,300 vehicles a day, which had increased by nearly 10 percent over the previous year. It was hoped that the construction of
SR 52 would help to reduce the congestion. A revised Mission Gorge Road eastbound exit opened in 1979, merging with traffic from I-15. Traffic reached 212,000 vehicles a day by February 1981, and Caltrans declared I-8 east of I-805 the busiest highway in the region. In 1987, Caltrans determined that I-8 west between College Avenue and Waring Road had the highest ratio of cars to number of lanes worldwide, at 2400 cars per hour. Plans to add another lane to I-8 west from College Avenue to I-15 began in March 1992. Caltrans proposed the installation of a metered
traffic signal on I-8 west in Lakeside during 1987, in order to improve traffic flow in the mornings by inserting a short delay before entering San Diego should the rate exceed 2,000 vehicles per hour. However, the state put its plans on hold shortly thereafter, following several concerns from the public, and from state senator Jim Ellis.
Cuyamaca Mountains Early road A
stagecoach road existed into the 19th century that passed through the mountains east of San Diego. Before the freeway was constructed, the automobile road through the mountains east of San Diego was narrow and wound through the mountains; it was officially dedicated in 1912. Construction of I-8 took place atop much of the roadbed of the highway from the early 1930s.
Planning and construction Completion of the freeway was the second highest priority according to the Highway Development Association in May 1963, after the I-5 freeway. Bidding began on the portion from Broadway in El Cajon to Harritt Road in September 1963. This section of the freeway was to parallel
US 80 to the south up to Lakeview Road, and then to the north. This portion of the freeway was scheduled to be complete by May 1965. By January 1965, I-8 had been completed from I-5 east to an interchange with Lake Jennings Park Road, just south of the latter's intersection with the southern terminus of Harritt Road. The part of the freeway from west of Harritt Road to west of Alpine was up for bidding in October 1964, and the Highway Commission set aside $2.1 million (about $ in dollars) for this stretch in February 1965. A contract for $1.42 million (about $ in dollars) was issued in August 1965. The entire stretch from Lake Jennings Road to Harbison Canyon Road was under construction by September 1965 and was scheduled to be complete by the next year. In the Mountain Springs pass between San Diego and Imperial counties, the eastbound lanes traverse the pass on the former roadbed of US 80 through
In-Ko-Pah Gorge near
Myers Creek. The westbound lanes were placed on a different routing through
Devil's Canyon that had been constructed by November 1963. A contract for paving the from the San Diego–Imperial county line to SR 98, including the eastbound lanes, was given to the Isbell Construction Company for $3.69 million (about $ in dollars) in May 1963. This portion was completed in May 1965 "through some of the most rugged, hottest sections of San Diego and Imperial counties," according to
The San Diego Union. Construction ran into difficulties following concerns regarding potential landslides. The westbound lanes were built first, and temporarily contained both directions of traffic while the old highway was converted into the eastbound lanes. The
Los Angeles Times described the stretch east of Mountain Springs as follows: "Through it the freeway engineers have hacked two separate roadways not even in sight of each other, but so overpowering in the sheer magnitude of the cuts through the mountains that it is almost impossible to believe human beings could have so overpowered hostile nature ...." Access to the site for construction workers was difficult, and many slopes had to be stabilized. Temperatures reached in the summer and in winter, with winds reaching up to . While
using nuclear explosions to conduct blasting operations in the Laguna Mountains was considered as a possibility, the proposal was not considered to be practical at the time. Two cables and a hook were used to move girders into place; this was the first use of a cable in Southern California road construction. The portion from Boulevard to near the Imperial County line was included in the California Highway Commission budget for 1965–1966. A extension from Mountain Springs west to what was then known as Road J-35 was given $3.3 million (about $ in dollars) in funding by the Highway Commission in May 1965. The section in between this one and the Mountain Springs pass section was in planning by that September, and was scheduled to begin the building phase shortly thereafter, with the section extending west of Boulevard to follow. That section, from Crestwood to Boulevard, was to begin construction soon after the $3 million (about $ in dollars) contract was given out in January 1966. The coming of the freeway from both west and east of Jacumba was projected to be a significant event in the history of the town. Construction continued with the issuing of a $6.55 million contract (about $ in dollars) to widen a section of I-8 through Alpine, from Harbison Canyon to east of West Victoria Drive, and to begin construction in April or May 1967, to be completed in 1969. This would leave only a stretch of I-8 that was not at freeway standards. As the process continued, concerns about increased smog from the additional traffic were raised in October 1967. A section to the east of Alpine was scheduled to have bidding opened in November of that year, and was to be finished in 1968; this would produce a continuous freeway from San Diego to the eastern terminus of this route. Both of these projects were underway by May 1968. An additional contract was given out for $7.8 million (about $ in dollars) in August to continue the freeway east from Alpine Street to Japatul Valley Road; this would bring the freeway near Descanso Junction. Roughly of dirt and rock were to be generated by all three of these construction projects, since half of a mountain would have to be removed with a million pounds of dynamite. The third project was built near the site of an abandoned attempt to build a tunnel for the old highway after World War II, which proved to be too expensive. By mid-February 1969, one segment of the freeway running through Alpine was nearing completion and was scheduled to open on February 21; another section was scheduled to open in April. However, although dirt and rocks were transported on a conveyor belt across US 80 to become part of an embankment for the
Sweetwater River Bridge, the grading of the mountain near Viejas Grade and the Sweetwater River had not been completed on the final link. The historic Ellis Grade radiator stop was to be removed and replaced with one at Vista Point. On April 19, 1969, the part east of Alpine opened to traffic. All of the Alpine part of I-8 opened on May 22, 1969, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony; yet the Viejas Grade segment was now projected to be completed by 1972. The bridge over the Sweetwater River was under construction by 1970, and the entire segment cost $22.1 million (about $ in dollars). By May, this segment was estimated to be completed in the later part of that year.
Finishing the freeway The final portion of I-8 in California, between Japatul Valley Road and west of Boulevard, was prioritized in the 1969–1970 state budget. Due to financial concerns, it was announced in September 1968 that the target date for completing the
Interstate Highway System would be extended until 1974, from 1972. The missing portion of I-8 was expected to cost $45 million and be constructed in three parts, with one part being started each year. The segments between Japatul Valley Road and west of Laguna Junction, and from La Posta Road to west of Boulevard, were delayed for an entire year at the end of 1969 due to a nationwide effort to fight inflation by reducing spending. A segment from Buckman Springs to Crestwood received funding in May 1970, which would leave only an stretch of the freeway uncompleted when built. (about $ in dollars). In May 1971, El Centro Mayor Alex Gay requested that passing lanes be added to the remaining two-lane part of I-8 in between El Centro and San Diego due to the frequent traffic jams in between Japatul Valley and Crestwood. At this time, this was the only missing link through the mountains. Bidding took place on the $16.5 million (about $ in dollars) La Posta Road to Crestwood Road and the Japatul Valley Road to Sunrise Highway portions in November 1971. As part of this series of projects, the highest concrete bridge in the state at the time was to be built at over Pine Valley Creek on the segment between Japatul Valley Road and Sunrise Highway. The contract came in at $22.6 million (about $ in dollars), over $5 million (about $ in dollars) beyond budget due to the difficulty of the bridge construction. All three of the projects to complete I-8 were projected to be complete by mid-1974. However, in March 1972, it was announced that the La Posta Road portion of the project would be delayed due to budget troubles. By the beginning of 1974, the new projected completion date for I-8 was mid-1975, with of two-lane highway remaining. The Pine Valley Creek bridge and the segment extending from Japatul Valley Road to Pine Valley was dedicated on November 24, 1974, and was scheduled to open on November 26; this left of freeway to be constructed. The final stretch of I-8 in California, from Sunrise Highway to La Posta Road, was completed in May 1975. In 1987, the first speed limit sign was posted east of El Cajon, the first one in the state; the speed limit on all I-8 east of El Cajon, except for the Mountain Springs Grade portion, was raised similarly.
Imperial Valley Construction The highway through Imperial Valley was originally a
plank road made of pieces of wood that were tied together. The Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge across the Colorado River was open in 1915. Following this, US 80 was built through the valley as the main east–west route. Plans for a new freeway across the southernmost reaches of California date from before 1950. The bridge over the Colorado River was replaced in 1956, at a cost of $1.2 million, and was in use until 1978, when the I-8 bridge was built. In 1957, the City of El Centro expressed a desire for the new freeway to replace US 80 to be routed along the southern limits of the city. Caltrans engineer Jacob Dekema stated at the time that the four-lane freeway would not be constructed on the US 80 routing due to possible expansion of the
Naval Air Facility El Centro. In October 1964, the portion of I-8 between Imperial Avenue in El Centro to SR 111 appeared in the state budget. By December, a route for the part of I-8 just west of the Colorado River was being examined by the California Highway Commission. Construction was underway on the stretch from Seeley to SR 111 by June 1966, and the entire portion through the county was planned for completion by 1968. This portion, extending west to Drew Road, was planned for completion by early 1967, at a cost of $200 million (about $ in dollars); however, by then, the date for completion of the freeway had slipped to 1972. The next year, Dekema indicated that the goal was to have I-8 completed by 1973, citing a deadline in order to have the federal government pay for up to ninety percent of the costs; the other freeways in the region were to be delayed because of this. In early 1970, the portion of the freeway from west of Ogilby Road to east of Algodones Road was under construction, and projections were to have this portion completed by later that year. This $5.2 million (about $ in dollars) project also included resurfacing the freeway that had already been built through the Colorado Desert Sandhills; By this time, it was estimated that the drive from San Diego to El Centro now took 2 hours, as opposed to the 3.5 hours required two decades earlier, and the two days required in the pioneer era. As the freeway was constructed through the valley, it caused a break in many north–south roads. These breaks were located where access to the part of the road on the other side of the freeway was cut off. Plans were put in place to build
frontage roads to improve access through the region. The portion of I-8 bypassing
Holtville began construction in December 1969, and was nearing completion in May 1971, to result in a continuous freeway that connected two existing segments from
Crestwood in San Diego County to just west of Winterhaven. It was estimated that the bypass would save travelers 20 minutes of travel time through the Imperial Valley. The cost of this project was $11.2 million (about $ in dollars). However, Holtville residents raised concerns about SR 115 providing the only access to the eastern part of the city, notably the narrow and curved portion leading from the freeway into town. Work on the Holtville portion began at 3:30 a.m. daily during the summer in order to avoid the desert heat. In addition to this, construction of the
Highline Canal overpass involved a steel span that was prefabricated and made of girders that were hoisted into position by barges. The Matich Construction Company attempted to set the world record for laying the most concrete in a day, aided by the level terrain, but failed to do so after the
concrete mixer malfunctioned. That same year, bids for an Arizona plant inspection station near Winterhaven, next to the California agricultural inspection station, were submitted. The last part of the California portion, from near Algodones Road to west of the Arizona state line, was to enter the bidding phase in early 1972. I-8 was scheduled to be completed in the summer of 1975 between San Diego and Yuma, although there would be a break in the freeway around Yuma; The bid for the project was awarded to Novo-Rados Construction in October 1975, as one of the final projects before the construction freeze. The new bridge, which replaced the old US 80 bridge, was dedicated on August 18, 1978; this completed I-8 from San Diego to Casa Grande. The Arizona Department of Transportation and the City of Yuma assisted in the planning process. By the time the California portion of the freeway was complete, the average cost was $1 million per mile
Fratianno allegations Jimmy Fratianno was associated with
Frank Bompensiero, the San Diego mafia leader, in a criminal lawsuit involving the Fratianno Trucking Company and the Miles and Sons Trucking Company in 1966; There were concerns that John Erreca, the state director of public works, had a
conflict of interest with Fratianno and did not enforce the law; however, both Transportation Administrator Robert Bradford (upon a request for investigation from then Governor
Pat Brown) and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation found that there was no conflict of interest. The truck drivers were given $36,000 (about $ in dollars) in back pay from the state government. Fratianno and Bompensiero were charged with fraud, as well as state labor and public utility code violations. While charges were dropped against Bompensiero, Fratianno was found guilty. The Imperial County
Board of Supervisors estimated that $25,000 (about $ in dollars) in damage to county roads took place due to overloaded trucks. The federal government fined him $10,000 (about $ in dollars), which he never paid, and placed him on probation for three years; he was imprisoned when he did not pay, but was released in September 1969. His ex-wife, Jewell, as well as the company, were fined $4,014 (about $ in dollars) individually for their responsibility in the matter. For the state charges, he was sentenced in 1969 to one to three years in prison, after pleading guilty to the charges. He was incarcerated in
Chico State Prison following a parole violation until 1973.
Storm damage Following
Tropical Storm Kathleen in September 1976, a flood eroded 400 pieces of the roadway from westbound I-8 near
Ocotillo, resulting in the construction of a detour. The freeway reopened to traffic in February 1978 after the damage was repaired and a new bridge was built, at a cost of $1 million (about $ in dollars). But, in 1982, the freeway was closed again near Ocotillo due to flooding following another storm.
Construction in Arizona Between Yuma and Gila Bend, I-8 runs alongside the routes of both the
Gila Trail and the
Butterfield Overland Mail Company line. The latter was a
stagecoach line that went between
Tipton, Missouri, and San Francisco, with several stations in between, and was used to transport passengers across the country at between 1858 and 1861. In later years, the
Southern Pacific Railroad was constructed, paralleling the Gila River east of Fortuna; by 1877, the tracks were complete to Yuma. Work continued the next year, and, by 1880, the tracks were extended to Tucson from Yuma. This portion of the route of US 80, predecessor of I-8, was originally part of the proposed state system of highways in 1921. By 1926, this section became part of the cross-country highway
US 80. The route was not paved at this time, but was a gravel road along the entire corridor. By 1928, the portion of I-8 between Gila Bend and Casa Grande was designated as SR 84. A small portion of the highway was paved near Yuma and SR 84 was under construction by the next year. SR 84 was completed by 1930, but not paved, and the segment of US 80 between
Aztec and
Sentinel had been paved. Paving of SR 84 had commenced by 1934, with the portion of the highway in Maricopa County being paved. A group of San Diego citizens raised concerns about the road from Yuma to Gila Bend not being paved in 1934, due to the impact that this would have on tourism in San Diego, and made a request to the federal government to have it paved. The entire future corridor of I-8 had been paved from Yuma to Casa Grande by 1935. Drivers were told to bring spare fan belts, radiator hoses, and additional drinking water for the journey traversing the desert. A "Shortcuts Association" began in 1952 to promote SR 84 as a route to bypass Phoenix on the way to San Diego. With the coming of the Interstate Highways, the corridor was to be upgraded to Interstate standards. In late 1958, a group of motel owners whose properties were located on SR 84 strongly objected to any routing of I-8 that would not go through the city of Casa Grande. Motel owners in Yuma proposed their own alternative in 1961 to the four routings of I-8 through the city that had been proposed, raising concerns about losing revenue from tourism. In January 1962, the alternatives were narrowed down to two, with one of them being the route supported by the motel owners. However, nearby school officials expressed concerns regarding that route, because 1200 students would no longer be able to walk to school if the freeway was constructed along that route. Later that year, a new route had been proposed, along the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks and the Colorado River. Construction was completed on the first sections of I-8 in Arizona in 1958. The first section was long, which included a grade-separated interchange south of the
Painted Rock Petroglyph Site. The second section, which was in length, also included a grade separated interchange at
Aztec, just east of
Dateland. The interchange at
Sentinel, and the section between Aztec and the
Maricopa County line, which included the construction of another interchange, were both completed in 1959. The initial construction was divided into four different sections awarded to different contractors. Work commenced with a section of US 80 between
Sentinel and Gila Bend on December 10, 1960. This was also the section of I-8 completed in Arizona on April 18, 1962. By 1963, work was well under way, with portions of US 80 between
Mohawk and Gila Bend, and SR 84 between Gila Bend and near Stanfield upgraded. Other merchants objected to the routing, and met with the Yuma County Board of Supervisors to raise their concerns following the final approval of the route in 1964. A new park was to be built east of the Colorado River crossing, just opposite downtown; city officials hoped that this would give an improved look to the town as drivers first arrived. Nevertheless, there was controversy over the work in Arizona as well. In 1964, a
U.S. House of Representatives investigation discovered that poor management and lack of efficiency were prevalent in four of the projects constructing the I-8 freeway. The Arizona Highway Department was specifically cited in the report for not taking into account protecting government interests when selecting labor for the projects. Several errors were discovered, and one of them, adding too much clay to the gravel mixture, cost the state of Arizona $26,278 (about $ in dollars) to fix. By that year, construction had begun on the freeway west of Casa Grande, while the rest of the Arizona routing was in the design stages. In 1965, a $1.46 million (about $ in dollars) contract was granted to build the portion from near Araby Road east through Fortuna Wash. Two years later, it was estimated that construction would be complete by 1969, except for the Colorado River bridge. The highway was in progress through the
Telegraph Pass east of Yuma, and the portions from Avenue 9-E to 4-E, from there to 4th Street in Yuma, and to the river were estimated to cost $9.69 million (about $ in dollars) in total. Following local complaints, Francis Turner, the executive director of the federal
Bureau of Public Roads, agreed to look at constructing an interchange at Trekell Road in Casa Grande again, after an earlier decline to do so. Work began on the Casa Grande part of the freeway in March 1968, at a cost of $3 million The Yuma County Chamber of Commerce made plans to promote tourism in the town following the completion of I-8 by late 1968. Bidding on the last portion of the freeway to be completed in Casa Grande, from Midway Road to I-10, was to begin in January 1969. By November, the freeway east of Yuma was under construction, at a cost of $3.7 million (about $ in dollars). On June 15, 1970, eastbound traffic began on I-8 in Casa Grande, with an exit at both Trekell and Thorton roads, with westbound traffic soon to follow. Businesses did not notice much change with the opening of the eastbound lanes. In 1971, I-8 was nearly complete, including a new alignment east of Yuma built parallel and to the south of the original US 80 alignment. A new alignment was also built to the south of the SR 84 alignment at the eastern end of the highway from southwest of Stanfield to the eastern terminus at I‑10 southeast of Casa Grande. The only portions of I-8 not completed at this time were the Gila Bend bypass and the western end near Yuma. The portion east of 16th Street in Yuma was completed in June 1972; the Arizona State Highway Commission authorized the $1.6 million (about $ in dollars) contract to construct the portion through Gila Bend in August. Some Yuma businesses had noticed a decrease in revenue at this time; the Arizona Highway Department agreed to modify some signs to eliminate any confusion. The part of I-8 between 16th and 4th streets was under construction in 1976, which was the only incomplete part of the freeway, along with the bridge over the Colorado River. The water treatment plant in Yuma was to be moved due to the potential of an accident with a vehicle carrying hazardous materials flying off the bridge and contaminating the water supply. The freeway in both states was completed with the opening of the bridge on September 20, 1978. In 1977, the US 80 designation was removed from this stretch in favor of I-8. ==Exit list==